David a



-06-156 0R 362,041 A. A Y I rD. A. SATLoR. APPARATUS TORHANDLING COTTON.

No. 362,0 1 j, PatentedApr. 26, 1887.

-` UNITED STATES DAviD A. SAILOE, OE LITTLE ROOK,

JONES, OE SAME PEACE.

AEKANsAs lA'ssIeNOE rro *EUDLEY' E.

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING COTTON.

SPECIFICATION formingvpart of LettersrPatent N o. 362.041, dated April26, 1887.

Application tiled September 23, 188e. Serial No. 214,379. (No model.) I

To all whom it nmy'lconcern:

Be it knownthani, Divin A. simon, a cui! zen of the United States,residing at Little Rock, 1n the Acounty of -Pulaski and State ofArkansas, have invented certain new and use- ,ful Improvements inApparatus for Handling Qotton, of which the following is a specifica-Ition, reference being had therein to the accompanyiug drawings.

Thisinvention relates to improvements in elevators and cleaners, moreparticularly to those designed for handling seed-cotton; and .1t has forlts objects to convey the cotton from I ton foreign matter, such asdirt, dust, or other impurities.

71th these objeetsin view the invention consists of a pneumaticelevator-.provided with an I automatic valve'for receivinganddischarging thecleaned material, and a cr1t-off,which may .also beautomatic, for controlling thesaid val ve. .The invention also consistsin connecting wlth the 'elevator two or more valves, with means for-controlling the quantity of cleaned material delivered to each valve,or entirely cutting oti the said supply from anyone or more of the saidvalves'without affecting the /other valves.

One means for carrying out myinvention that I have found advantageous Ihave illustrated in the annexed drawings, in which- Figure l is avertical section of an elevator embodying my invention. Fig., 2 is asimilar v1ew showing one means I employ to provide several points ofdeposit. Fig. 3 is a plan of a portion of Fig. 1 with the top removed. f

The pneumatic elevator-tube is designated by A; the exhaustingapparatus, which iu 4o the instance shown is a fan, by the letter B.

Abox, C, which I call the cotton-box, for receiving the cleaned cotton,is located at some point-in the elevator-tube, preferably as shown,

and communicates at its upper end'with the said tube, `Which is enlargedon each Side of the said box to form a separating-chamber, D

that is, `the chamber is wider and extends above the tube over the saidbox C. An inclined deliector, E, projects into the chamber D from to therearv of the box C, and

a source of supply to one Or more points of dg, posit, at thesame timeseparating rom e cotisso constructed as to be adjusted to close or leavepartiallyopen, or wholly open, the rear cnd of the screen F, whichlforms a continuation of the tube A into the chamber D, and is locatedover the box G.

' From t-he lower end of.` the box C depends the valve G, which mayconsist of flexible material-such as cauvas-stiti'ened on two of itsopposite sides in any suitable manner-foriuvstance, by boards H. At somepoint between 6o the box C and the vfan B, I locate the eut-off, whichmay consist of a slide, I, adjustable across the tubeA. The fan exhauststhe air ,from the tube A, thereby causing the cotton to pass into thesaid tube from the source of supply, which may, if desired, be a wagon.

- However, before the cotton 'passes into the tube the force of theexhaust causes the stiff- `cned lSides of the valve to approach, asshown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 ofthe drawings, thus 7o closing thelower end of the eotton-box, the said 'valve being held in the saidclosed posi tion by the exhaust, the flexible portions ofthe valvesealing it against the admission of air from Without. The exhaust beingin operation and the valve closed, as described, the cotton is carriedthrough the tube until it reaches the screen and detlector, when thedirt 1 and the like will pass through the screen and to any convenientpoint of exit from the liuc, 8o while the cleaned cotton will fall intothe receiving-box and upon the valve and be there retained.

. When it is desired to discharge the cleaned cotton, the cut-off isoperated to close the passage through the tube, and thus stop the actionof the exhaust without stopping the fan. When the draft is out oil, theair in the iue approaching the receiver rushes forward and out throughthe dischargingvalves G, so as to 99 blow or force out the cotton,which, if allowed to fall of its own`weight, would require the cut-ofito stand closed for a longer period than is desirable. Cotton beinglight requires this assistance in falling, time.'Then,whiletl1eairinthetubeapproacl1- ing the separator is losing itsmomentumrby escaping through the receiver, the air in the tube betweenthe receiver and the cut-oft `,havi `Y ing no means of escape and ha'ving attained a 100 in order to economize ,high rate of speed by theaction of the exhaust mechanism, will necessarily momentarily condenseitself at the'cutoff, and will again immediately react before coming toa rest, as is evident. 4This momentarily reverses the draft through the.wire-cloth in such a manner as to blow off any lint and d ust that mayhave lodged against the Wire-cloth and eiiectually cleans it, and at thesame time makes asecond puff of air through the valves, and thereby 21S-sists in the discharge of the cotton. At this point the tine is openedand thevacuum created, ai before.

It will be evident from the foregoing that the cut-off in the tubebetween the receiver and the exhaust mechanism is a very essentialelement of my invention, as upon it depends the immediate 'discharge ofthe cotton in the receiver and the effectual cleaning ot' theseparating-cloth.

Without limiting myself to the exact construction and arrangement ofparts shown, I claim;

1. In an apparatus forelevatng cotton, the combination of a pneumatictube or flue, an exhaust apparatus, a valved receiver connected to thetube between its mouth and the exhaust apparatus, a deiector in the tubeover the receiver for directing the material into the same, anautomatically opening and closing valve attached to the said receiver,and a cut-off in the tube entirely closing the same between the exhaustapparatusI and the valved receiver, whereby the action of the exhaustapparatus upon the tube may be suddenly stopped and .a reacting puii ofair created in front of the eut-oii' to accelerate the movement of thedischarging cotton, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a pneumatic tube or fine, an exhaust apparatusconnected to the tube, a valved receiver communicating with the saidtube between its mouth and the said ,exhaust apparatus, a screen anddeflector adjacent to the said receiver, and aeutofl in the vingtherewith, a iiexible tube between the. exhaust apparatus and thereceiver, whereby the action of the exhaust apparatus in the tube may besuddenly stopped and a reacting -puff `of air created in the tube infront of,the"cutoff to accelerate the discharge of the material in thereceiver and clean. the screen over the same, substantially asdescribed. u,

3. In an apparatus for elevating cotton and other materials, thecombination of the pneumatic tube or flue, areceiver connectedtherewith, a valve attached tothe said receiver and constructed offlexible material, and stiffening devices for the said valve,substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. In an apparatus for elevating cotton and other matcrialsfthecombination of a pneumatic elevating tube or iiue, a receiver connectedto the said tube, and a valve attached to the said receiver, constructedof iexible material, and 5 having stitiened sides and iieXible sides,substantially as herein shown and described.

5. In an apparatus foi' elevating cotton and other materials, thecombination of the pneu,- rnatic tube or flue, a receiver connected tothe said flue, a defieetor adjacent to the said receiver, a screenadjacent to the deflect'or, and

a iiexible valve having suitablestiff'ening dedischarge-opening to thereceiver, allombined as and for the purpose specilied.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my si gnature i n presence of twowitnesses.

DAVID A.. SAILOR. VitnesseS: r

C. .A. HENNING, I. H. BERNAYS.

